The present invention is related generally to the assembly of an integrated wheel end which includes a movable clutch ring for selective engagement between an engaged and disengaged position for transferring driving torque from a drive shaft to the wheel end, and in particular, to a coupler ring abutment feature configured to position the movable clutch ring relative to a coupler on the wheel end during assembly with the drive shaft.
In vehicles which have the ability to convert between two-wheel and four-wheel drive, a means must be provided to connect and disconnect the part-time drive wheels from the engine's drive shaft. One mechanism to accomplish this may be provided by a mechanical connect/disconnect at the integrated wheel ends for the part-time drive wheels. A drive component of the integrated wheel end, referred to as a coupler, has external splines which are in close axial relationship to a driven drive shaft having matching external splines. A clutch ring having internal splines which match the external splines of the coupler and the external splines of the drive shaft is disposed in engagement with the splines of the drive shaft and may be axially displaced for sliding engagement with the external splines of the coupler to selectively couple and decouple the drive shaft from the wheel end. An actuating mechanism, including a shift fork, is engaged with the outer peripheral edge of the clutch ring to provide for mechanical axial movement of the clutch ring into and out of engagement with the coupler. Axial movement of the shift fork during engagement is generally limited by an abutting relationship with a knuckle surface of the integrated wheel end.
Currently, as an integrated wheel end is assembled, there is a possibility that the external splines on the movable clutch ring or torque disconnect feature may not align with the external splines on the drive shaft. If this happens, and a retention nut on the drive shaft is tightened, the shift fork holding the movable clutch ring in place may fracture or deform in response to the axial forces applied to the movable clutch ring by the ends of the drive shaft splines.
Specifically, as the integrated wheel end is being assembled to the drive shaft, the clutch teeth of the clutch ring and the coupler on the wheel end are aligned, but the drive shaft clutch teeth may be out of alignment with the clutch teeth of the clutch ring. In this instance, forces applied to the clutch ring by the drive shaft have a tendency to press against the ends of the splines of the clutch ring, while the shift fork is in abutting engagement with a knuckle of the integrated wheel end. Since the base portion of the shift fork is abutting against the knuckle, axial forces applied to the axially unrestricted clutch ring impart stresses across the radial dimension of the shift fork which can potentially cause breakage or cracking of the shift fork during installation.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a means for restricting axial movement of the clutch ring during assembly of the integrated wheel end to the drive shaft, whereby axial forces applied to the clutch ring by the drive shaft during tightening of a retention nut or other attachment means do not impart significant stresses or moments across the radial dimension of the shift fork which may result in damage there to. It would be further advantageous to provide such a means which does not require redesign or redevelopment of existing integrated wheel ends, which does not risk the introduction of particulate matter into the external splines of the coupler, and which does not result in a weakening of the various splined components.